


5 Times Penelope Almost Realized Baz Was in Love and One Time Agatha Definitely Did

by platypusesareneverasleep



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: 5+1 Things, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 11:04:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12011388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/platypusesareneverasleep/pseuds/platypusesareneverasleep
Summary: Baz has been in love with Simon Snow for a long time. Sometimes he shows it, and sometimes Penny (almost) notices.





	5 Times Penelope Almost Realized Baz Was in Love and One Time Agatha Definitely Did

_One_

Simon looked starstruck when Agatha walked into the classroom. She seemed to be casting a glow—or was it just her hair?

“Who’s that?,” he whispered to Penny.

Agatha sat down delicately, pushing a flaxen tendril behind her ear, and pulled out her books. Dev, seated next to Niall, turned his blonde head.

“Agatha Wellbelove. She’s not very powerful, I don’t think. She’s from one of the richer families.”

“Wow…have you spoken to her before?”

“No, not really. Simon, turn your wand around, it could go off again.”

Penny had helped Simon with his spellwork last class, and now he was clinging onto her like a puppy trying to clamber out of a well. They looked odd, the pair—lanky Simon with his shaved hair and uncertain gaze, small but impressive Penelope who knew just what to say to seem smart and powerful. Even compared to Baz.

Who decided to sneer at Simon just that moment, drawing his attention away from Agatha. 

Penelope watched her, like all the other students were. She was sure that Agatha played up the whole effect—walking into class just a moment late, eyes dashing down to glance at a few people around her while smiling uncertainly, her hair cascading down her back—because she enjoyed the attention. Well, it had certainly worked on Simon.

She switched her attention to Baz. “You don’t really think you could get _her_ , do you?” he taunted, a desk away. Merlin, how could an eleven-year-old _sneer_ that easily?

Simon reddened and shot a whispered “fuck off” at him before turning around. He didn’t look back at Agatha for the entire class.

Baz looked pretty happy—like a git, but there was something genuine about it. 

Penny labelled it. _S_ _atisfaction._

.

.

.

_Two_

“Come on, Penny, just a few more minutes. What if today’s the day we find out what he’s up to?”

“You’ve said that the last thirty times we were waiting here and nothing ever happened, Simon.” Penny crossed her arms and gave Simon her hardest glare, making him wince.

“Baz was late coming back yesterday. _Again._ ”

“I know your theory,” sighed Penny. “Honestly, it’s been—”

Baz stepped out of the balcony, violin case in hand.

Simon nearly jumped, his hand automatically shifting to his hip. His eyes looked irrevocably guilty, his face transforming into a bright shade of red.

Baz pretended to brush off the front of his blazer, his eyes glued to Simon. “Nothing else to do on a sunny Sunday, Snow?”

“I wasn’t—I mean—I wasn’t doing anything—”

“I just! Um! I mean! _Crowley_.”

Simon gaped at him for a few moments before spitting out, “Why are you so _evil_?”

Baz looked like he was compelled to answer for a second—were his cheeks turning faintly pink? Then he narrowed his eyes and leaned forward until he was holding Simon with his stare. Closer, closer, closer. He must’ve blocked anything else out from Simon’s vision, not letting him look away. Simon tried to hold his ground, glaring fiercely back. 

Penny noticed how easily Baz could’ve thumped Simon’s skull with his own if he wanted to. 

Baz glanced sideways at her, seemingly noticing her for the first time, and stepped back. He laughed curtly, an empty noise, sounding like an echo in an wide room.

“Your obsession is growing quite out-of-hand, Snow,” he said. “Time to find another hobby. Perhaps stalk the Mage next time?”

Penny set a stable hand on Simon’s arm as Baz stalked away. She could feel the magic rising up, receding back, slowly steadying as Baz disappeared—like the sea after a powerful wave, or lit coals fizzling out.

If anything, the pink on Baz’s pale, pale cheeks had brightened.

.

.

.

_Three_

Agatha appeared at Penny’s shoulder, in pearl and ivory just like Simon had been. The lights of the party cast a shine onto her flaxen braid as she bit her lip in worry. Prettily.

“Have you seen—”

“Simon just left to chase after Baz,” Penny told her. “Off there.”

Agatha hurried off. Penelope wondered if she should’ve kept an eye on them. _Well,_ she said to herself, beginning after them. _Better safe than sorry._

She dodged several waiters before she spotted the pair. Just two. 

Penny let a handful of guests mingle in front of her, picking up a glass of cider, identifying the speaker by voice as she blended in.

“Why aren’t you with Snow?” Baz’s voice was amused, a blaring red alert in itself.

“He had to do something…Baz—”

“What did he have to do?” Baz sounded like he knew something that she didn’t. 

“I don’t know, he went somewhere earlier.” Agatha sounded uncertain. Trust Baz to shake up Agatha. “Basil…”

“He quite wanted _you,_ you know.” Something about Simon…where was Simon? Following Baz? “Still believe it, Wellbelove?”

“Merlin, you’re right for once,” Penny mumbled to herself, cider untouched.

“Why don’t you like us together, Baz?,” Agatha asked softly. _I don’t either_ , thought Penny to herself. 

“Why don’t I.” His dry tone made Penny turn her head, just to see his face.

The look in Baz’s eye was answering Agatha’s question quite clearly. Penelope just couldn’t place it. It was something more than _because I hate Simon Snow and I want to ruin his life._ He seemed tired, and longing, like he had been for a long time. But what didn’t he have yet? 

And where had he led Simon?

Oh… _Agatha_?

.

.

.

_Four_

“We have to tell the Mage.”

With those words, Penny could see Baz’s excitement crashing down into the dirt.

“Over my dead body.”

They started arguing immediately—Simon wanted to go to the Mage, and Baz looked like his whole world was falling down. Like he wanted to keep Simon hidden away. Like he could stop anything from happening. He said something about numpties—an agreement—Simon gave him an odd look, furrowing his brow.

“Not _that_ agreement, you twit—”

Penny would’ve maybe paid more attention to that choice of words had Simon not been trying to convince them to hand him in as the greatest threat the World of Mages had ever known and possibly bring his end. She interjected a few times—

“Nothing is more important than my mother!”

When Baz stormed out the door, he looked like he had lost everything.

Why would Baz care so much about Simon going to the Mage? He’d already figured out where he needed to go. He didn’t care about working alone. And…Simon. When would Simon _ever_ want to stay at Baz’s house instead of Agatha’s? He had looked incredibly happy when she told him to come with her, like he was going to fix their relationship. Fix everything. Which he obviously did want to do, more than he wanted to face a bunch of numpties. It wasn’t like he couldn’t drive back to visit the numpties the next day.

Penny glanced up at Simon, who was pacing up and down the room.

The way Baz had cleared his throat, like Simon owed it to him to stay…or he didn’t want him going to Agatha’s. But Penny didn’t think Baz cared about Agatha enough to justify the coldly seething resentment on his face.

Her eyes softening, she said, “Maybe Baz is right.”

.

.

.

_Five_

A thought crossed Penny’s head as she bent over, retching amongst the violently intensifying lights.

_On love’s light wings._ An unusual spell, but of course Baz would use it even when they were in mortal danger…

She tried to remember what they had taught about that spell in class—surely not more than a snippet of passing conversation?—but was overtaken by a wave of fresh bile. Her stomach knotted.

Maybe Baz had gotten it from his own library. 

The spell was definitely old. And complicated. There was something Penny was missing, something he needed to work the spell…love or light or wings? Which part…love. Obviously. Oh, wait…

She caught a flash of Simon and his red, scaly wings, clutching his eleven-year-old self by the shoulders and staring into his eyes. The Mage—he was hurting him, trying to separate them…grabbing at Simon and pulling him, just a thrashing shadow in the dark.

Penny threw up as she croaked, “What’s he doing?”

Baz’s face was unusually readable right now…he had let his walls down for now, when he was scared and Penny was scared and Simon was terrifying both of them. “I don’t know,” he said. She could barely hear him over the whipping, windy noise.

She crouched down. The spell flitted across her mind again…what was it? Something about vowels, and shifting vowels. Middle Ages? Something else.

She heard Baz shout and turned to see Simon, falling. Simon, fallen. The Humdrum, gone. Baz’s wild panic for a millisecond before he latched onto the Mage and held him tight, fury and terror about to slash into his neck.

Penny remembered about the spell. Could it really be? Him and Simon? 

She pushed herself up and lifted her ring shakily. “ _Simon says!”_

.

.

.

_\+ One_

“…still can’t believe you’re going to _America_. Agatha, it’s been about a week since the whole thing…have you even told your parents?” Penny scrunched her nose at her, leading her down the hallway.

“It’s been enough time for me to reflect on the fact that the headmaster tried to murder me. And it’s not just America, it’s California…”

“It’s kind of a good thing, now you realize how much of a git he is…anyway, Simon thought I should probably tell you something, about the Christmas thing.”

“You’ve already relayed everything to me in detail, what else is there to know?”

“It may come as a bit of a shock.”

They reached Penny’s room, with Simon and Baz sitting in criss-cross on her rug, apparently in an argument.

“—so yes, you were an arsehole during fifth year,” finished Simon.

“Wellbelove’s here,” said Baz, grinning at her. “By the way—I’m in love with Snow.”

She realized how their knees were touching as they sat.

“Wait…what?” She turned to Penny. “Is this what Simon wanted me to know?”

Penny shrugged. “Yeah.”

“ _Morgana.”_

Baz smiled pleasantly up at her as he curled Simon’s tail around his hand. Simon, on his own part, was looking rather embarrassed. 

“You’ll be alright, Wellbelove. Go ahead, carry on.”

**Author's Note:**

> hey, this is my first work! i'm not super happy with a few of them but please leave a kudos or a comment if you enjoyed it :)  
> ☀ sj


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